Rye, Rye, Rye Derirah

The last Störtebeker beer I tried, the truly revolting Hanse Porter, went down about as well as a pissed-up Richard Keys and Andy Gray gatecrashing Germaine Greer's cocktail party. I had higher expectations though of their rye beer...

The head was thicker, more virulent and whiter if anything than a normal wheat beer. It doesn't say how much rye goes into it, but there's enough to give a spritzy taste on the back of the tongue. An interesting beer, and things got even better with the Schwarzbier. This for once had a roasty burnt taste that you sort of expect from a beer as black as the ace of spades - the ingredients lists röstmalz so that might have something to do with it. Definitely more interesting than the Kostritzer version.
A couple of thumbs up for the Stortebeker groovers, and nice to see a German brewer gouging the eye of the 'gebot for all the right reasons. Maybe focus on these two and knock the porter on the head lads - after all, it's not like British brewers make shitty versions of German styles and pret.... errrrmmm.... hang on... ahem... scrub that.